In Search of the Best Programmable Universal Remote?

option8 asks: "Now that i have more components in my living room than I have room on the coffee table for their remotes, I'm looking into getting a programmable universal remote. I've looked at some of the spiffy touchscreen jobs, like the Philips Pronto and even some of the new color remotes, but it seems to me that spending more for my remote than I did on my DVD player is overdoing it somewhat. Also, all I've found are ones with windows support for building screens. Are there any out there that I can use with Linux?" There was a previous Ask Slashdot on this subject back in '99, anything new to report since then?

Comments

Re:Ecch.

[EasyTarget]

There seems to be some sort of design law on this

Very cheap units have a simple remote control with limited functionality and a few buttons. Cheap units where they want to bump the price a little has a simple remote control with limited functionality and HUNDREDS of buttons. Mid price has mediocre functionality, fewer buttons, and a LCD/swivel cover/joystick. The best stuff has high functionality, just enough buttons for that, and nothing else.

As Terry Prattchett said in Good Omens 'He had a sound system so expensive the amp was just a heavy black cube with a volume contol and nothing else' (iirc).
And no.. having a 'eject' button on a CD/DVD is not high functionality, it is a total waste of everybody's time.

Marantz RC-2000 MkII

[samdu]

Absolutely the BEST remote out there. It aint cheap, coming in at $250.00, but it is the only remote I've found that replaces ALL of my other remotes for EVERY function. It's big, but not too big, it has programmable buttons, it has macros, and its entirely backlit. Awesome remote.

-Sam